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Bloomfield High to add one art, five agriculture electives next year

Megan Petersen, Daily Times
Published 7:00 p.m. MT Nov. 15, 2017

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Future Farmers of America program expands with new teacher

Superintendent Kim Mizell says the addition of several new agriculture-related courses at Bloomfield High School is an effort to provide more electives to students who live on ranches and raise livestock.(Photo: Daily Times file photo)

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A Bloomfield agriculture teacher already has a curriculum prepared, keeping costs low, according to the BHS principal.

Agriculture electives are currently available to freshmen and sophomores, but not upperclassmen.

The Bloomfield superintendent says many BHS students come from agricultural and ranching backgrounds.

BLOOMFIELD — Bloomfield High School will add six new classes to its course catalog next school year.

The new classes are environmental science and natural resources, science of wildlife and forestry management, agricultural economics and business management, applied science in agriculture, ceramics and pottery, and science technology and engineering.

The Bloomfield School District School Board approved the additions at its regular meeting on Tuesday evening.

Superintendent Kim Mizell said the additions — excluding the ceramics and pottery class — are part of the school’s new Future Farmers of America program taught by Gary Spencer, who started teaching agriculture classes at BHS this school year.

“We have quite a few kids who participate in raising livestock and live on ranches, so this is expanding options for the students with electives,” Mizell said on Wednesday.

Bloomfield High School Principal Chad Burkholder said the school currently offers two agriculture classes — animal science and horticulture — but the courses are only available to freshmen and sophomores.

“What we’re looking to do is expand our ag science and FFA program here at Bloomfield High School,” Burkholder said. “ … After a student’s sophomore year, there are no more opportunities as a junior or senior to continue taking ag science and FFA-related courses, so we added (these five classes) just to provide our kids with more opportunities as upperclassmen to continue taking classes in this area.”

Burkholder said the cost of adding the courses will be low, as Spencer already has a curriculum planned. The school may have to obtain textbooks or other supplemental material for the courses, but Burkholder said the administration has not looked into purchasing any new materials.

The pottery and ceramics class will be taught by art teacher Jennifer Martin, Burkholder said, in an effort “to draw in students who may not be interested in drawing and painting."

Megan Petersen covers business and education for The Daily Times. Reach her at 505-564-4621 or mpetersen@daily-times.com.